Emergency dispatch merges to save money

SAN DIEGO - Officials from San Diego and Chula Vista today
announced the merger of the cities' fire and medical dispatch
operations in an effort to reduce costs and improve response
times.

"By merging dispatch operations, San Diego and Chula Vista have
the advantage of instant communication, which means the elimination
of delays that previously existed between fire dispatch centers,"
according to a joint statement.

The consolidation is slated to begin on March 4.

The announcement was made by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and
Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox at a South Bay fire station.

Officials said Chula Vista will save about $700,000 annually by
merging systems and have access to the latest technology in use at
the San Diego Fire- Rescue Department Communications Center.

Chula Vista will pay San Diego about $420,000 a year for the
cost of the service, plus start-up fees of about $520,000. The
price includes the hiring of four dispatchers.

Both cities will benefit by sharing resources such as fire
engines, ladder trucks and personnel, according to city
officials.

San Diego's dispatch center handles about 140,000 calls
annually, while Chula Vista responds to about 15,400 emergencies
per year.

Technology being used by the SDFRD's Communications Center
includes computer-aided dispatch, automatic vehicle location and
mobile computers with integrated mapping.